It Could Lead to Tens of Thousands of Deaths. In the Meantime, It’s Wreaking Havoc on Americans’ Sanity. Imagine not being able to feed your kid because of a mistake on a piece of paperwork.

For @slate.com & @economichardship.bsky.social, I reported on how chaos and changes surrounding SNAP benefits are taking a toll.

People described endless fear and worry over feeding their kids, where their next meal will come from, and whether SNAP could become even more difficult to access.

It’s How Millions of Americans Afford Food. Trump Has Thrown It Into Chaos. The Toll Is Bigger Than You Realize. Imagine not being able to feed your kid because of a mistake on a piece of paperwork.

if you’ve ever made a little mistake on a piece of paperwork … this kind of thing could happen to you. @rainesford.bsky.social on the mental toll that the broken SNAP system is taking on families / anyone who relies on it slate.com/business/202...

There’s a Weird Myth About Plastic and Penis Size. Now It’s Made It to Netflix. The Plastic Detox is bad science.

I've been so surprised to see "the plastic detox" on netflix being taken at face value. a doctor who works with patients dealing with infertility wrote a piece about all the problems with it for Slate! slate.com/technology/2...

my insurance company is trying to get out of paying the bill for my baby's birth and meanwhile sending me emails like —

I think I speak for all tech editors when I say that A.I. fatigue is real—and we're pretty hungry for anything else. Any A.I. pitches need to clear a pretty high bar to be assigned because we get TONS of them.

Denise Richards’ Unfiltered Facelift Photos Are a Gift to Us All They lay bare what it actually takes for a 55-year-old to look snatched—and why Hollywood beauty standards need a major reality check.

I really think we're going to look back on this era of impossibly smooth 50, 60—80!—year olds the way we do over plucked eyebrows and skinny jeans.

www.allure.com/story/denise...

worth re-upping this piece from a little bit ago slate.com/technology/2...

It’s a Design Principle That Has Transformed the World and Even Saved Lives. It’s Gone Way Too Far. It’s time to rethink usability.

nice essay by @jasonfarman.bsky.social about how usability has gone too far slate.com/technology/2...

Even if you’re incredibly bad at singing you can still enjoy the hell out of karaoke … by using your actual voice.

Is It Wrong to Write a Book with A.I.? The horror novel “Shy Girl” was cancelled for being generated at least partly through artificial intelligence. Would we ever accept such a book as art?

writing is a direct conversation with a reader. it happens between two (or, in the case of teams of writers and editors described in this piece, more) people. writing with AI isn’t like using an 808 to make music — it’s lip syncing. www.newyorker.com/culture/open...

so wild. my baby got a dose of the MMR vaccine early as a precaution for *domestic* travel.

i'm pro paywall because the human writing is work, and writers need to make a living. but -- yikes.

unfortunately I think that AI writing is going to be like Ikea furniture, human writing and human communication is going to be bespoke, rich-person stuff. look at what's happening with news, customer service, doctor's offices. anything where you talk to a human is behind a giant paywall.

had an entire conversation with my husband this morning where we agreed to disagree about the conclusion of an NYT op Ed about Lindy West … and the reason we disagreed is because there are TWO OF THEM.

welcome to .... UNHINGED! slate.com/advice/2026/...

we have a juicy advice column launching tomorrow at Slate 👀💅

congrats!!

Can I change your mind about DNA? My first book, BEYOND INHERITANCE, descries a sea change in how we talk about our genes. It comes out in a couple weeks—preorder your copy or audiobook version (narrated by me) today: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711682...

It’s Taking Over the Lives of Wealthy, Elderly Men. It Could Be Coming for You Next. It involves substances “not for human use.”

men are very into wellness and beauty — they just don’t call it that slate.com/technology/2...

useful intel nonetheless ty

can i jump in here to ask what Newark is like ... I assume that is the typical Maplewood airport

The Risk Too Many People Are Taking With Ozempic It’s frustrating to watch, given my field of study.

a smart take on how Ozempic et al could be prescribed with a touch more caution slate.com/technology/2...

Why The Internet Is Arguing About Its Favorite Feminist Lindy West is no stranger to online trolls, but something about the “Adult Braces” discourse feels different.

it's a good day to listen to a Slate podcast slate.com/podcasts/icy...

There’s a Certain Part of Dining Out That Stumps Me Every Time. I’m Not Sure There’s a “Right Way” to Do It. Prudie says: “It bugs me when people act as if there’s a right way to handle this!”

I mostly agree that it depends, however, if you're asking everyone to go out to dinner somewhere fancy for your birthday you should pay for everyone ... otherwise it's like throwing a party and making people pay to attend.
slate.com/advice/2026/...

this is so good! wow 😭

absolutely monstrous

Slate | The Slatest Everything on Slate about The Slatest

I’m writing the Slatest for a couple days! It’s a fun newsletter even when I’m not writing it. Sign up! slate.com/news-and-pol...

there are lots of difficult parts about being a new mom and mostly they have lessened in difficulty—but i fear the insurance fights may be forever!

(ascertained after multiple phone calls trying to figure out why the fuck the hospital is saying they're going to need to invoice me for a giant bill, naturally)

my health insurance company accepted the claim from the hospital for my child's birth, marked it as paid, and then ~6 months later is saying "we take it back—he had secret insurance through his father during the birth." it is a new one for me.